Shallow M5.8 earthquake hits offshore Alaska

An M5.8 earthquake occurred at 04:42 UTC on May 9, 2026, about 292 km (181 miles) west-southwest of Adak, Alaska. The event struck at a shallow depth of 26.5 km (16.5 miles) as reported by the USGS.

The coordinates place the quake offshore in the North Pacific Ocean, southwest of the Aleutian Islands chain, a remote and sparsely populated region. The closest city is Adak, located roughly 292 km (181 miles) northeast of the epicenter at approximately 51.1°N, 179.3°E.

Given the offshore location near the Aleutian Islands, critical infrastructure in the area may include regional airports, maritime navigation routes, and fisheries infrastructure on Adak Island, though dense population centers and significant mainland infrastructure are distant from the epicenter.

There is no tsunami threat associated with this earthquake, based on its location and available data.

The maximum estimated intensity was IV, with a significance index of 518 (on a scale that runs through 1 000), based on magnitude and estimated impact.

The Aleutian Islands region lies along the seismically active boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, known for frequent earthquakes due to subduction processes.

This information was last updated at 04:59 UTC on May 9, 2026.